Legislative eNews

Government Affairs Update from the Hilton Head Island-
Bluffton Chamber of Commerce -- July 25-29, 2005

Your Chamber of Commerce is the business community's source of information during hurricane operations: www.hiltonheadisland.org

Hurricane preparation tip: Remember the "three don'ts" when using generators: Don't run a generator in the house; don't run a generator in the garage; and, don't plug the generator directly into your home's main electrical system.

Topic #1 -- SCDOT seeks dates/times of major events -- The South Carolina Department of Transportation would like to know the dates and times of major events on Hilton Head Island and in the Bluffton area that could result in major increases in traffic on U.S. 278 in greater Bluffton. SCDOT will use this information in its decision-making about traffic flow during the U.S. 278 construction project. Please periodically email me this information at tbennett@hiltonheadisland.org. I need to relay this information to SCDOT every Friday morning. Any and all help would be appreciated.

Topic #2 -- County leaders thank Sens. Graham/DeMint, Cong. Wilson for $26M slated U.S. 278 -- A House-Senate committee has earmarked $26.6 million for U.S. 278 in the $286.4 billion transportation funding bill. County Council Chairman Weston Newton, who has led the effort for the past five years to secure federal funding, spoke earlier this morning on behalf of members of county council in praising the work of Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint and Cong. Joe Wilson. "We have been lobbying for this for a number of years," Newton said, "including our Washington, D.C., visit last month with our congressional delegation and with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, specifically to discuss U.S. 278 and 17."

Topic #3 -- SCDOT making progress in completing drainage work on U.S. 278 -- SCDOT reported this morning it is nearing completion of the installation of drainage pipes under U.S. 278 and hopes to finish the final three within three weeks. The final three are in the vicinity of the Moss Creek intersection.

Topic #4 -- Countywide admissions fee to fund transportation projects -- Beaufort County Council on July 25 approved a 2.5 percent countywide admissions fee to be charged at admission-based places of amusement and entertainment. The new fee takes effect Oct. 1, and is to be used solely for county transportation projects. Approval of the fee allows the county, in conjunction with funding from the Town of Bluffton, to move forward with construction of the Bluffton Parkway from Simmonsville Road to S.C. 170 and with widening Buckwalter Parkway.

Both the county and the Town of Bluffton approved first readings this week of an intergovernmental agreement concerning the two parkways. The admissions fee will result in $1.7 million a year. Bluffton's contribution, resulting from negotiations between the town and developers/landowners, will result in $3.3 million in cash and $740,000 a year for five years.

Construction start date for the Bluffton Parkway is November 2005. Projected completion date is January 2007.

Topic #5 -- County Council members participate in workshop -- Members of Beaufort County Council participated in a workshop on July 27 to learn more about a local option sales tax that can reduce property taxes. Proponent Bill Marscher, a Bluffton resident, presented his views, and Robert Hemphill, Jr., staff attorney with the South Carolina Association of Counties, provided specifics. County Finance Committee Chairman Mark Generales will task his committee members to study the details and impact of the tax, and he further asked the county's municipalities to do the same.

Topic #6 -- Reminder about the closure of Hilton Head Island Airport -- The airport will close at midnight on Sept. 7 and reopen at midnight Sept. 25. The closure allows airport officials to widen, repair and strengthen the runway. The runway will be available for medevacs.

Topic #7 -- Bluffton's mid-decade census scheduled in August -- Aug. 18 is the scheduled start date of the Town of Bluffton's mid-decade census, which will last through the rest of the month, Town Manager Josh Martin informed Town Council in its meeting July 26. The updated population count, expected to be significantly higher than 2000's, will help the town quality for more state revenue. Martin says the goal is to certify the results and forward them to the state by December.

Tim Bennett
VP for Government Relations
P.O. Box 5647
Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
Office -- (843) 341-8370
Email -- tbennett@hiltonheadisland.org